Blitz: The League

Blitz: The League Preview - Story Mode, Gameplay, and a Mean Streak

With its arcade years firmly behind it, Midway has since transitioned into a pretty successful publisher of console-exclusive games. But when it comes to its back catalog of arcade games, the transition wasn't easy. Arcade games are, for the most part, a little too shallow to just come home in their native forms. That's why we've seen the publisher attempt to update its various franchises, like Defender and Spy Hunter, with somewhat mixed results. The NFL Blitz series was one of Midway's final arcade smash hits. While the first few games were brought home, over the years the series lost some steam. Now, after a few years off, Midway is returning with a new Blitz game that ditches the NFL license, letting the developers get as nasty as they want to be. Now that we've spent some time with a near-final version of the game, we can say this: It seems like the Blitz series is poised to recapture the spirit of the original arcade games, while adding an entirely new element to the package.

Doing things like injuring players, evading sacks, executing clash catches, and taunting the opposition on your way to the end zone gives you icons that go in to a separate meter. Filling this one up sets you up for an "unleash" ability. These are essentially pumped-up clashes. Unleash catches cause full-on catch animations that are practically impossible to stop. Unleash tackles are even more bone-crushing than the average dirty hit, giving you an even greater chance to cause injury or a fumble. Smart use of your clash and unleash meters seems like the key to success in Blitz: The League, but good, solid reflexes--you know, the sort that cause you to almost instinctively dive on a receiver well before the ball gets to him--are also a plus here.

In playing a handful of games and easing our way into the story mode, we've found that Blitz: The League has a whole lot going for it so far. It has a mean streak, for sure, but it rides that streak right up to the breaking point before interjecting some much-needed humor to lighten the mood. The game definitely doesn't take itself too seriously, making for a decidedly M-rated but funny take on the world of football. On top of that, the gameplay definitely seems rock solid, and the graphics and sound stand out as well. We'll have a full review of Blitz: The League soon.